Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says the American team is remaining cautiously optimistic as it heads to Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Haas impressed at pre-season testing, with Kevin Magnussen setting the fifth fastest time on the super soft tyre.
World champions Mercedes were also impressed by Haas, with the German squad tipping them to surprise throughout the upcoming season. Despite only entering its third season in Formula 1, it is believed Haas could be fighting for fifth in the championship this year.
However, Steiner says that only running in Australia this weekend will provide a true insight into how the team is shaping up for the nine months ahead: “I would say we’ll know the potential of the car after qualifying in Australia.